


Falling out, falling in

by sofialindsay



Category: Happiest Season (2020)
Genre: F/F, i sat down to write MAYBE 500 words, this was not meant to happen, will someone just check on riley damnit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:14:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28968144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sofialindsay/pseuds/sofialindsay
Summary: This is now a group of related scenes beginning with an alternate-ending Caldwell's White Elephant fallout to random scenes of Riley and Abby's life together. Featuring John, because I love writing Riley tormenting him with too much information.
Relationships: Abby Holland/Riley Bennett, Abby Holland/Riley Johnson
Comments: 42
Kudos: 154





	1. Falling out

**Author's Note:**

> One of the many things I would have liked to see in the movie was someone checking in with Riley after Harper was outed because once upon a time I was Riley in a situation and that trauma never really goes away. 
> 
> I'm also not really sure how this happened other but I am confident ohnice1 is to blame.

Riley couldn’t deny she had been entertained for a few minutes; one minute Harry was going on about a painting and the next Sloane and Harper were in an all out brawl. There’s a small part of her that enjoys watching Harper get taken to task about her sexuality, but that only lasts until Harper’s “I’m not a lesbian!” shriek suddenly transports her back to high school. When she locks eyes with Abby and sees a familiar hurt there, she realizes there are some things a decade in therapy doesn’t prepare you for.

She briefly considers going after Abby, solidarity in numbers and all that, but John has swiftly followed her downstairs and she’s sure he has it covered. But she longs for an escape; the walls of the Caldwell’s are closing in rapidly, triggering flashbacks of that confrontational day year's ago in this very living room, and pain she had long ago buried blooms in her chest. 

Realizing no one will notice she’s gone in the midst of the drama unfolding, she quickly finds her jacket and walks out on the porch. The crisp of the winter air seeps into her bones and she welcomes the distraction. It’s only a few minutes later she hears the door open again and feels a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you okay, kiddo?”

“Yeah Dad, I’m fine.” She replies automatically, but she’s not entirely sure she believes her own words. “This just brings back a lot of memories I’d rather not think of.” 

Despite her coat, she shivers and gives him a small smile when she feels his heavy wool coat wrap around her shoulders. “I don’t think I ever told you how proud I was- I  _ am- _ of you for how you handled the situation in high school. We both know you could have easily destroyed Harper but you chose to take the high road. That takes a really strong person, Riley.”

A low chuckle escapes and she shrugs. “Every single day I’d see her hanging all over Connor and I wanted to. God, how I wanted to. We both knew the power I had in the situation and I knew she was terrified of me because of it. She was my first love, Dad. And knowing she was terrified of me may have hurt more than her actually outing me. I always told myself that what we had was real at the time, and that it hurt her more not being with me than outing her would. True or not, it helped me move past it.”

“Harper didn’t have the childhood you did,” Her dad begins cautiously, “I would never defend what she did to you, or what she just did to her girlfriend just now, but people’s environments do impact how they react to things.”

Riley sighs, “I always hoped it was just immaturity and being a child that allowed her to hurt me so easily. But what she just did to Abby? Dad, it makes me so angry. She’s a grown-ass adult now. How can she so willingly hurt someone she claims to love?”

“I can’t answer that, kiddo, but what I can tell you is Abby probably needs a friend. And the two of you seemed cozy earlier this evening. I also have a suspicion she’s the reason you’ve actually seemed  _ happy _ this Christmas.” 

“She has her friend from Pittsburgh. I’m sure he knows what she needs more than I do. I was just showing her around town while Harper was hanging all over Connor.”

Her dad shrugs. “Maybe she does have him, but think back to when Harper hurt you. You had your mom and me, but wouldn’t it have been nice to have a friend who could relate?”

Before she can reply the door opens again and the duo in question rush out. Abby is obviously on the verge of crying and John is doing something on his phone, rambling about finding the closest hotel. She watches them bicker over whether to get a hotel room or drive directly back to Pittsburgh and is surprised to hear her dad’s voice beside her.

“You won’t find a hotel open tonight,” his deep voice calls out to the pair, “and neither of you are in any condition to drive, I’m afraid.”

John frowns and Abby’s shoulders slump even further. Riley resists the sudden urge to rush forward and hug her. Instead, she bumps her shoulder against her father’s. “Dad, I don’t think that’s helping.”

“Nonsense, Riley.” he replies, “You two can stay at our place tonight. We have two guest rooms, or the three of you can have a sleepover downstairs if you wanted. Abby, I think you and Riley might have a lot in common.” 

Riley has always debated what superpower she’d want if she could have a superpower. In that moment, she quickly decides the only right answer to that question is invisibility. Either that, or she’d fully welcome the earth opening up beneath her and swallowing her. She loves her dad, really she does, but she also knows his methods to get her to speak to literally any female within talking distance who might be interested in women in the slightest of ways. She can’t bring herself to look at the blonde, choosing instead to glance at John who’s watching her carefully. A flash of mischievous crosses his face before he nods.

“Thank you, mister…”

“Bennett. Or you can call me Michael.”

“Okay, thank you, Mr. Bennett. If it’s not too much trouble, we’ll take you up on that offer. We'll be gone early in the morning before your holiday festivities begin.”

If looks could kill, Riley is certain John would be dead on the spot courtesy of the blonde to his right. Her dad simply smiles. “It’s no trouble at all. As a family of doctors and a lawyer, there is no way we can allow anyone to drive after drinking. And no need to plan to leave early either. After Riley’s high school days, we began doing an Orphan Christmas of sorts…”   
  
“Dad, maybe we don’t call it tha--” Riley cautions carefully, glancing at Abby apologetically. The other woman shakes her head and gives a sad but grateful smile.

“It’s fine, Riley.” 

Riley locks eyes with the blonde and nods, acutely aware her dad is watching their exchange. He clears his throat, effectively breaking their gaze. “I apologize if my wording was hurtful in any way. Riley, I assume you can get them to our place? I’m going to go inside and find your mother. If the three of you want to leave now, we’ll probably be home in a few hours.” 

~~

A half hour later, they walk into the Bennett’s house and Riley finds herself actually nervous for once at the prospect of having people over. She knows it’s ridiculous but she wants Abby to feel at home here, even if the house isn’t even where she considers home anymore. In any case, she wipes any thoughts of how attractive she may find Abby from her mind and leads them down a hall. 

“So here are the guest rooms. The bathroom is down the hall. Please remember I only come home once a year so I can’t vouch for comfiness or decor. I don’t know if the two of you are ready to call it a night, but I’ll be downstairs in the family room drinking wine and reprocessing teenage trauma for awhile. If anyone feels the urge to say fuck sleep and come save me, be my guest.”

“Do you have any hard alcohol?” Abby asks hopefully, speaking for the first time since they’ve arrived. 

Riley nods. “My parents always have wine on hand but I picked up a new bottle of bourbon the other day. If you want to drop your bags off and meet me downstairs, I’ll hunt down some glasses.” 

“That’d be great, actually. I really don’t think I can sleep right now.”

“Um,’ John fakes the biggest yawn known to man and looks towards his newly acquired room, “I think I’m going to call it a night. Driving all day was exhausting and really, there’s only so much heterosexual drama one can take without being absolutely drained.” 

“Of course.” Riley acknowledges as she turns to walk towards the kitchen. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

Once out of range, John turns towards Abby. “Okay I like her, and while I know Harper just broke your heart, if you wanted me to kidnap Riley to take back to Pittsburgh with us, I think I could arrange it.”

Abby’s confusion is clear as she moves towards one of the empty rooms and tosses her bag just inside before following John into his room. As much as she loves John, as emotionally drained as she is, she’s secretly glad he’s decided to skip hanging out with them. “What? Why are we kidnapping Riley?”

“Um, I don’t know. Maybe because she’s a doctor, she’s mildly attractive, and she’s obviously into you.” 

“No.”

John throws the duvet back, plops down on the bed and stares up at her. “I’m just pointing out the obvious. She wants you around and it’s obvious you’re not opposed to being around her either.” 

“John please,” Abby all but begs, “I just broke up with the woman I thought I was going to ask to marry me after she denied our relationship in front of literally everyone. Including the woman who’s parent’s house we are staying in tonight. Now is not the time for you to come up with one of your ideas!”

“Fine! But while you’re downstairs drinking with the doctor, I’m going to be up here sleeping like a baby. Did you see these sheets? These are  _ 1500  _ thread count sheets, Abby!”

Some days, Abby has to admit she has considered wanting to strangle the man. Others, she’s sure she's going to strangle him. But today? She just shakes her head and leans over to hug him. “I’ll plan on being up by seven tomorrow so we can get on the road.” 

“Of course, if Riley doesn’t keep you up too late tonight,” he sees her glare and quickly adds, “drinking and talking or whatever it is you women do at sleepovers.”

She’s still rolling her eyes when she walks to the other guest room and quickly changes into sweatpants and locates an outlet to charge her phone. There’s already numerous texts and voicemails from Harper but she finds it’s easier to ignore them when Riley is waiting on her with alcohol just a few floors down.

Retracing her steps to find the stairs to the basement seems easy enough, perhaps a bit too easy when she finds herself standing in the doorway minutes later. Riley is already wrapped up in a blanket on the sectional, the fireplace on and the television providing quiet background noise. There are two wine glasses and two whisky tumblers on the coffee table along with various bottles of alcohol. Abby takes a deep breath and walks into the room.“Hey…”

“Hey. I think I have everything we need for drinking. There are a few snacks in the cabinets over the bar if we get hungry. Take your pick on what to drink.” 

Abby reaches for the bottle of bourbon and, after a quick nod from Riley, pours two glasses before picking one up. “To...sharing a common ex who we both fell victim to?”

“I’ll drink to that.” Riley responds, tipping her glass towards the other woman before bringing it to her lips. The bitter liquid burns on the way down and she savours the brief distraction. Silence settles across them before she feels the alcohol enter her bloodstream. “For the record, I don’t think Harper is a bad person. She just does bad things sometimes to those she loves while trying to protect herself and her family.”

Abby raises an eyebrow. “Is that your opinion or your therapist's?"

“A little of both,” Riley acknowledges, “Harper and I were kids and I’ve spent years actively avoiding her at the Caldwell’s party. She’s been afraid of me all those years because at any point I could have outed her.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Riley shrugs. “What good would it have done? I never wanted to hurt her the way she hurt me. Don’t get me wrong, what she did to me I wouldn’t wish on anyone, but she was my first love.”

Abby takes a sip of her drink and winces against the burn. “Do you still love her?”

“I feel  _ something  _ towards her, but it’s more nostalgia than love. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how, when things are good, Harper makes you feel like you’re the only one in the world that matters.”

“I...I’m not sure she ever made me feel that way,” Abby admits as she stares at her glass. “Or rather, those moments were so fleeting I never could really grab onto them. She actually asked me to go home with her for Christmas during one of those moments. It was perfect but then we see how it ended.”

“You know I was hopeful she had come out to her parents when I ran into the two of you at dinner. I never would ask or pry, obviously, but I do want her to be happy in whatever form that is for her.” 

“I can’t help but wonder how things would have been different if she had come out in the summer like she told me she did. That unknown is what bothers me the most. I wanted a future with her so badly, but we have such different ideas of happiness.”

Riley refills her glass. “You mean not everyone dreams of being forced back in the closet when they meet the parents? I thought I was the lone person that didn’t appreciate that.” 

“Absolutely not. Maybe our idea of happiness isn't the same as hers? I could never dream of hiding my partner from others.”

“Me either. Not that my parents would allow that.”

From there the conversation moves away from Harper and her drama and towards discussing their parents. Abby finds herself sharing holiday stories with the doctor she hasn’t thought of in years. It’s bittersweet but she learns Riley herself was adopted at a young age and only has vague memories of her birth mother. Riley learns that despite being an Art History student, Abby has a real interest in science which leads them to discuss the side research project Riley has been working on for the last two years. It may be over Abby’s level of understanding, but she asks the right questions and Riley, ever the loner, finds that she’s genuinely enjoying the blonde’s presence. Somewhere during the conversation they’ve moved closer to share the blanket and Riley is acutely aware of the heat coming from the other woman. 

Soon though, their conversation is interrupted by the clock striking midnight. They’re both suitably tipsy and bordering on drunk and Riley frowns. “I’m surprised my parents aren’t back yet. Even with their post-party visit to the diner I assumed they’d be home by now.” 

“If you’re ready for bed, I can go upstairs,” Abby offers, her hands moving in a motion clearly designed to indicate going upstairs before she moves to climb out from under the blanket. She stops when she takes in the pout forming on the other woman’s face. 

“No, don’t go,” the brunette all but whines as she throws the blanket back over Abby. “I’ll go upstairs in another few hours or I may just fall asleep down here. But you can stay!”

Re-covering the other woman with the blanket may have started out innocent, but somehow her movements have pressed them closer to each other. Riley can see that ever-present “Do not cross” line in the sand clearly, yet the alcohol has wiped away all concepts of personal space. Judging by how Abby immediately picks up her drink and leans into her side, she assumes she hasn’t yet crossed the line. 

Eventually though, the conversation tapers off and they turn their attention to the television. Abby doesn’t move from her spot leaning into Riley’s side and, after the doctor’s arm somehow finds its way around her shoulders, she rests her head on the other woman’s chest. The protective embrace combined with the steady thud of Riley’s heartbeat lulls her to sleep, with Riley soon following. 

~~

It’s well after midnight when Riley’s parents enter the house, well-fed from their afterparty at the one and only 24-hour diner in town. Noticing the lights on in the family room, they detour down the stairs to say goodnight to Riley. Instead of finding an intoxicated daughter, they are greeted with the sight of the young blonde wrapped carefully in Riley’s arms and Riley’s head resting against the top of Abby’s. 

Her mother moves to turn the television and lights off before following her husband up the stairs. “I know that girl went through hell with the Caldwell’s earlier, but they look so cute together. Riley looks so happy. How is it we’ve never seen her so relaxed and comfortable with a woman she’s brought home before?”

Michael smiles and wraps his arm around his wife. “Regardless of what that scene does or does not imply, I have a feeling Abby will be around for awhile.”

  
  
  



	2. Falling in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Okay,” Riley concedes, “But don’t blame me that you’ll have to suffer through White Elephant sober. I tried to talk you out of going.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things I wanted to see in the movie was for someone to actually check on Riley after Harper was outed, and for someone to put Tipper in her place. The rest of this gay mess happened by accident.

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” 

Abby smiles as Riley asks her the same question for the umpteenth time. “Babe, I’m fine. It’s just the Caldwell’s Christmas party. What could go wrong?”

“Ummmm. Let’s see,” John pipes up, “Two years after the last fiasco, ex-number-one of Harper’s has married ex-number-two who by the way, is pregnant by ex-number-one. Oh and Harper knows literally none of this. So really, what _could_ go wrong?”

Riley wraps her arm around Abby and kisses her cheek. “We don’t have to go. You’re four months pregnant. Mom and Dad will understand if we decide to skip this year.” 

From the look on Riley’s face, Abby can tell she’s skeptical about this whole thing. It’s obvious John isn’t a fan of going either. They have a point. The last time they went to the Caldwell's party, the three of them left together and something new had begun. On Christmas morning, Abby had woken up sprawled across Riley on the sectional with a feeling of contentment she had only dreamed about. John had teased them endlessly, but he and Riley (and Riley’s parents) had become fast friends. Six months later Abby had moved to Boston. The next Christmas Riley had proposed and now, two years later, she was four months pregnant with their first child. 

And somehow, they had managed to keep it away from Harper. 

“Riley we should go. If it gets to be too dramatic, we have the perfect excuse to leave and go to a drag show instead. Jane will be there and is expecting us. But not going feels like we’re hiding us and I’m not okay with that. Besides, we don’t have to tell them I’m pregnant. I can still cover the baby bump.”

“Okay,” Riley concedes, “But don’t blame me that you’ll have to suffer through White Elephant sober. I tried to talk you out of going.” 

Okay so _that_ she had not considered. “Well, I’m carrying your child so yes, I can blame you. I know Harper though. She may be shocked, but she won’t start anything.” 

~~

It’s a good thought in theory, but from the moment they showed up with the Bennetts and John, Abby has been all but glued to Riley’s side. Harper keeps trying to make eye contact but apparently even their matching rings aren’t a big enough clue that maybe, just maybe, they’re more than casual friends. It’s not until Riley and John leave to get drinks and Harper catches Abby alone that she realizes just how oblivious the other woman is.

“I didn’t expect to see you or John here,” Harper states casually, “Especially not arriving with the Bennetts.” 

“Um yeah, we’ve spent Christmas with them for three years now. It’s a tradition, though last year we were on a two-week cruise instead.”

Harper frowns. “That would explain why they weren't here last year. You and John went with them? Why?”

Abby glances around, hoping to see Riley, John, or even Jane, approaching with no luck. “John is like the son Michael never had, and Riley and I wanted to do something different for Christmas. So the three of us decided a cruise was in order and took Tina and Michael with us as their Christmas present.” 

“You took Riley’s parents on a cruise? Since when are you best friends with her, much less that close to her parents? You didn’t even know _my_ parent’s names until a year after we dated.” Harper carries on.

"I know them well, actually," Abby raises her left hand, her engagement and wedding rings proudly on display. "They’re my in-laws.” 

“What?!” Harper all but yells, “What do you mean they’re your _in-laws_?!”

“What she means,” Riley appears at Abby’s side seemingly out of nowhere and she slides her arm protectively around the blonde’s waist, “is that we’ve been together for two years, and married for almost one of those.” 

Harper’s mouth falls open and she glares at the pair. “We were together two years ago, Abby. God you couldn’t even wait until you had moved out of my apartment before fucking her, could you?!”

“You don’t even know what happened, Harper,” Abby tries to explain, “We didn’t chea--”

“How could you marry _her_ ?” Harper seethes, “You don’t even live in the same _city_ ! You wouldn’t even consider leaving Pittsburgh for _me_!”

“People do move, Harper, and people change their minds from time to time. I assure you, we live in the same city. We even share the same house and bed.” Riley replies, her tone clearly indicating she’s quickly growing bored of the accusations and explanations.

The yelling continues until Harper takes a step towards Abby. Mindful of what happened two years prior and noting there are many throwable items within arm’s reach, Riley moves between them, but her cold expression has both her parents stepping close as well out of concern. John looks mildly terrified as he watches the scene unfold from his perch near Sloane and Tipper. “Um Sloane. How much do you love your sister?”

The woman looks annoyed. “Depends on the day, really. Why?”

“Because I’m pretty sure Riley is about to _literally_ murder her.” 

“Why on earth would she murder Harper?” Tipper wonders aloud. “I never understood how someone so successful professionally could have such a questionable lifestyle and be so unstab--”

“Abby is four months pregnant with that unstable woman’s child.” John cuts in, “And unless you want to see her give a class-A impression of Dexter, I suggest you get Harper to make like Elsa and let this go.”

Tipper gasps. “Harper! We raised you better than this! Stop this instant! You do not upset pregnant women!”

“SHE’S PREGNANT?!” Harper shrieks, rounding again on Abby, “It’s not bad enough you had to cheat on me with Riley, but now you’re having a baby with her?! Was literally no other woman available?”

Riley’s back is rigid and her voice unusually cool. “Hey, that’s my wife and child you’re talking about.”

Abby reaches out and wraps her arm around Riley from behind. “Babe, I think we should go now before this gets out of hand.”

“Gets out of hand? I think it’s already out of hand! I think it got out of hand when my ex knocked up my ex!” Harper is yelling at this point, “How could this be happening?”

“I don’t know why you’re so surprised,” Jane comments casually, “You did this to yourself. Twice, actually.”

Harper glares at her sister. “Shut up, Jane!”

“You know,” Sloane interjects, “She kind of makes a point, Harper. You fucked Riley over in high school, something that no one here has even acknowledged in the two years since I outed you. Everyone in this room owes her an apology. Then you did the same to Abby when you brought her here, and we were horrible to her because we didn’t know you were together and thought she was a stranger. You brought this on yourself and all too often you never get held accountable for the situations you create.”

“Sloane! How dare you talk to your sister that way!” Tipper scolds. “Apologize to her!”

“I won’t,” Sloane refuses, “Because Jane and I are correct.” 

Jane nods. “We are! Plus, Riley and Abby are cute together and they’re nice to me when I hang out with them and John.”

For a split second, Riley looks at Sloane like she’s grown a second head. Never once did she think the lawyer would come to their defense but she nods her thanks before glancing at her parents. “I think we’re going to leave now. This stress isn’t good for Abby or the baby and, frankly, we have drag queens waiting for us at The Oxwood.” 

“You can’t just walk in here, drop a bombshell like that, and walk out like you’ve done nothing wrong! I can’t believe--” 

“Harper look,” Abby interrupts, “I don’t really care what you do or don’t believe. Riley and I did nothing wrong. You and I were over when Riley and I got together. We’re married, we’re having a kid, we’re in love, and we’re happy. You don’t get a say in any of this.”

John appears with their coats, automatically handing Abby’s to Riley for her to help the blonde put it on. Harper watches the silent interaction the two of them seem to have and realizes she was never that close to her ex’s best friend. She’s not actually sure the man even liked her or approved of their relationship. Once Riley’s own coat is on, her hand falls automatically to the small of the blonde’s back, not guiding her but merely showing her presence as a silent sign of support. 

The Bennett’s follow them, but Michael pauses in front of Tipper. “That _unstable woman_ is my daughter who, as a fifteen year old, could have ruined _your_ daughter’s reputation after being so cruelly outed by someone terrified of being herself. She didn’t though, and today the only woman I saw losing her temper was Harper. In fact, I’m quite proud of how Riley handled tonight’s situation considering her family was attacked. You may want to remember that the next time you’re passing judgement on someone’s _lifestyle_.” 


	3. 100% sure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They had slowly started to discuss what their future might look like, which is largely what this weekend’s trip is about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Friday night! Which means drinking, writing and trying to convince ohnice1 to write as well.

Abby sighs in relief as she hangs up the phone. The interview with the art museum had gone well and now there’s nothing left to do but wait for the call. She glances at the suitcase resting next to the door and realizes she has little more than half an hour before she has to leave for the airport. It’s been five months that she and Riley have taken turns flying back and forth, sometimes meeting in New York City when adventure strikes them, but she’s tired of the flights and the lonely nights. She’s well aware it’s wearing on the doctor as well.

They had slowly started to discuss what their future might look like, which is largely what this weekend’s trip is about. Abby knows she has a little more flexibility in the world of art, but Riley’s residency ends soon so they have to factor in where she wants to do her fellowship. The Head of the Pediatrics Department had let the brunette know they wanted her to stay and Abby knew she was strongly considering it. 

If a moment of missing the brunette on a lonely night had led her to search for jobs in Boston, so be it. If one of those applications had led to an interview with the Museum of Fine Arts, even better. If she did all this without saying a word to the doctor, she reasoned it was best not to get Riley’s hopes up in case nothing panned out. She’s not entirely sure how she’s going to manage taking a phone call with her girlfriend around, or hide the rejection if she doesn’t get the offer, but those are future-Abby problems to deal with. For now, she resolves not to get her hopes up for something that may not even happen and pulls her phone out to call for a taxi as the usual warmth seeps into her bones at the knowledge she’ll be in her girlfriend’s arms in a few short hours.

~~~

The first thing she does after the plane lands is turn her phone on and text “Landed” to Riley. The second is to check her emails and voicemails to make sure she didn’t miss a call from the recruiter. Logically she knows the odds of hearing from them today are low, but they had seemed confident she would know by the end of the week. Which means she’ll know something within the next 24 hours and nope, she’s not nervous at all.

But soon she’s walking through the terminal at Boston Logan and, as her eyes land on the doctor, all thoughts of job offers and potentially moving fades and all she’s focused on is getting to Riley as quickly as possible. The moment she’s within reach, Riley wraps her into a hug and she swears the room is spinning when they pull apart. 

“Hey you,” she teases before leaning back in to place another short kiss on the brunette’s lips.

“Hey. How was your flight?”

“The usual.” She shrugs. “But I had this insanely attractive woman on my mind the entire time. It was really distracting, actually.” 

Riley chuckles and reaches for her carry-on. “Oh? Should I be concerned you’re going to leave me for this insanely attractive woman?”

As they step aside Abby leans heavily into her side, unable to keep the act up any longer. “I really missed you. Three weeks is way too long.” 

“I agree. I’m sorry I couldn’t fly out like we planned. Work got so busy and they’re wanting me to do the fellowship here. I know we haven’t really discussed it, but I didn’t want to refuse extra shifts just in case I decided to apply.” 

Abby rests her head against the strong shoulder as they walk. “I’m not complaining, babe. But I just got here. Right now I really just want to go home and hear about your crazy week. We can talk about our future later this weekend okay?”

As they reach the car, Riley can’t help but smile when Abby refers to her apartment as _home_ and places a quick kiss on the top of the blonde’s head before moving to put her bags in the trunk. “Of course. I went to the store earlier so we have plenty of food for this weekend. Of course we can always go out or order delivery if you want.” 

A hum is the reply she gets as they settle into the car. As usual, Abby’s hand reaches over to rest on her thigh innocently, the simple contact more than welcome after three weeks apart. They’re both quiet, enjoying the presence of each other, until they’re inside the apartment and fall into a tangle on the couch. Abby catches her up on John’s latest antics and Riley explains the chaos of having half her team on vacation the same week. After a while Abby’s stomach growls, interrupting a very riveting story of Riley being attacked with water balloons by some of the kids in the unit she’s been working in. 

“What do you want to do for a late lunch?” she questions softly, her fingers running up and down the other woman’s back.

“Let’s make fajitas?”

Riley laughs. “If by that you mean, will I make fajitas, yes. I’ll make fajitas.”

Abby beams, “You’re the best babe.”

“Mmhmm. Why don’t you go shower and I’ll have it mostly ready by the time you’re out?”

Standing, Abby stretches before looking down at the other woman, offering her a hand to pull her off the couch. “I love how well you know me. Can I leave my phone out here? John said he was going to call this afternoon to make sure I arrived and you know how it gets if I don’t answer.”

“Of course. I’ll tell him you made it but you’re tied up doing something.” Riley pauses on her way to the kitchen. “Actually I’ll make sure to frame that up better for maximum traumatization.” 

“I have no doubt you will. I’ll leave my phone on the table.”

Riley watches her disappear into the bedroom with a smile on her face. Briefly she considers following, but experience has taught her sometimes it’s best to feed the blonde before getting her distracted with other activities. She’s halfway through making the fajitas when she hears Abby’s phone ring and nearly trips over the couch to reach it before John hangs up. 

Instead though, she can’t help but frown when the Boston phone number registers on the small screen. She glances towards the bedroom, but the shower is still running and Abby clearly won’t be out before the caller hangs up. She’s torn; they’ve answered each other’s phones in the past, but never from unknown callers. But, she reasons, Abby doesn’t know many people in Boston so it’s probably a spam call. Taking a deep breath, she hopes she’s making the right decision as she slides to accept the call.

“Hello?”

“Hello, this is Jessica from the Museum of Fine Arts...May I speak to Abby Holland?”

For a few moments, there’s only stunned silence before Riley regains her composure. “I’m sorry, she’s stepped out for a few minutes. Would you like to leave a message?”

“Yes, please,” Jessica replies warmly, “Will you please ask her to call me back at this number as soon as possible? I’ll be available until around seven.” 

“Of course.”

The call ends and Riley finds herself frozen on the couch. There’s only one logical reason Abby would be talking to anyone from a museum in Boston, but surely she would have mentioned it. Sizzling from the stove pulls her out of her daze and she quickly moves back to finish preparing lunch. She’s staring into space while half-heartedly stirring the vegetable mix when the blonde re-appears.

“Jessica from the Museum of Fine Arts called for you.” Riley states without preamble. “Your phone rang and I wasn’t sure if I should answer, but it was a local number so...yeah.” 

Abby’s eyes widen. “Oh! Did she leave a message?”

“You should call her back. She said she’d be available until seven.” 

Riley looks uncertain, skittish almost and Abby frowns. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Riley is quick to reply, “I’m just a little...confused. And maybe a little worried I shouldn’t have answered your phone for anyone but John.”

“Oh, I don’t care if you answer. I don’t have any secrets from you.” She responds, then bites her lip when she sees the brunette’s raised eyebrow. “Except for one. I may have applied for a job here.” 

Several thoughts race through Riley’s mind. On one hand, she’s absolutely thrilled at the prospect of having her girlfriend in the same city. On the other, it’s troublesome that the decision was made in isolation, especially during a time both of them are rapidly approaching crossroads in their careers. But she’s also aware nothing is absolutely certain until Abby returns the call. She goes back to stirring the contents of the skillet. 

“You should call her back. Feel free to use the bedroom if you want privacy. I’ll finish these and we can talk over lunch. Sounds like that talk about our future may be happening sooner than expected.” 

Abby nods and ducks back into the bedroom. It’s not privacy she’s seeking, but the idea of having a few minutes alone to regroup if she doesn’t get the offer is appealing, especially now that Riley knows. Her hands shake as she dials the number back. The call is quick and to the point. When it ends, she collapses back onto the bed before taking a steadying breath and moving towards the kitchen to face her girlfriend.

The brunette is plating the food when she walks out, but Abby can see the tension in her stance. Without a word, she moves to the kitchen to grab two glasses and silverware. 

“I know I should ask,” Riley says softly, “but can I have a moment of this normalcy before we have a serious, potentially-life changing conversation? I just need a few minutes.”

Abby nods and takes her seat. Silence falls on them as they both dig into the fajitas until she can’t take it anymore. “Lunch is amazing.”

“Thanks.” Riley takes a deep breath. “So, can I ask what that was about?”

“A few weeks ago it was late at night and I was missing you. I started looking at jobs here and applied for a few. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t think anything would come of them, especially not from the Museum of Fine Arts. When they called wanting an interview, I couldn’t say no. My interview was this morning before I got on the plane.” 

“So that call…?”

“Was the recruiter calling to extend an offer that would start next month.”

Riley sucks in a breath and slowly exhales. “What did you tell them?”

“I told them I needed to discuss it with my partner and would call them with an answer in the morning.” Abby answers truthfully watching the brunette carefully. “Ri, you love Boston and we both know Boston Childrens is your dream hospital. They want you to do your fellowship there and you love your coworkers and the kids.”

“But do _you_ love Boston?” Riley questions softly. “I don’t want you to move here and then end up resenting me for taking you away from Pittsburgh.” 

“I love _you_ ,” Abby counters, “and I will be happy wherever we are. But I’m not happy being away from you.” 

The doctor bites her lip. “The last few weeks I’ve been taking extra shifts to work alongside the best doctors in our program to boost my chances of getting the fellowship. But there’s always a chance I won’t. I don’t want you to uproot your life and move here if I end up at a hospital in Milwaukee or somewhere equally depressing.” 

Abby smiles. “If that’s your main concern, I’ll call Jessica first thing tomorrow and tell her I’ll take it. I need to call John too; he’ll absolutely murder me if he’s not the second to know. Plus I’ll need his help to pack my apartment up, oh and I’ll need to tell my landlord tomorrow as well. I should really start a list.”

“You don’t have to solve everything today.” Riley looks amused. “John and I will help you. I can take a few days off and help you move and get you settled here too. We’ll need to figure out who’s furniture to keep and stuff like that.”

“Furniture to keep?”

Riley pales. “I um, I’m sorry. I just assumed you’d move in here. It’s totally fine if you don’t! I’ll help you find an apartment if that’s what you prefer.”

“I wasn’t sure you’d want me to move in. There’s a big difference between a weekend every so often and living together.”

“I won’t pressure you,” Riley bites her lip nervously, “But if you want to move in, I want you to. If that’s what you want.”

“Babe, do you really think I’d relocate to Boston to be closer to you, and get my own place?” Abby asks with a hint of amusement laced in her voice. 

~~

A few weeks later they’re moving the last of her things into the apartment when John dramatically flops down on the couch. “I hope you two realize how much alcohol you owe me tonight. This is more work than I’ve done in years. _Years!"_

Riley rolls her eyes as she flops down beside him. “A little exercise won’t hurt you.” 

“Trust her, she’s a doctor.” Abby’s voice rings out from the other room followed by a loud crash and a muffled, “I’m okay! Everything is okay!”

Both Riley and John look at each other and then towards the bedroom, neither making an effort to move. John shakes his head. “Are you _sure_ you want to live with her?” 

“Absolutely.”

Another crash is heard and Riley cringes. John stares at her. “Are you _absolutely_ sure?”

“100%.” She grins. “In fact, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I’m going to marry her one day.”   
  



	4. Go team!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for this. I had a few drinks and was talking to weasley86 during the game and this just happened and I'm going to deny any responsibility for it and blame others like the responsible, mature adult I am. 
> 
> Half of this is based off conversations I've had during past Super Bowls. It's really not to be taken serious, though I really do want to know why the fuck they keep gendering soap????

Originally, it seemed like a brilliant idea. Riley managed to have Super Bowl Sunday off, her newfound team was in the game, her jersey had arrived in time, and Abby had agreed to having a small party of sorts. John flew in for the weekend and the two of them were excited about the game. She really didn’t understand why the man looked at her like she had three heads when she had mentioned excitedly that Abby had her own Tampa jersey and was looking forward to the game. 

Now? Now it makes perfect sense: her girlfriend hates football and has zero interest in all things associated with men’s sports. 

So while her team may go into halftime with a considerable lead, and she’s buzzing from a few beers, Riley is seriously questioning her decision to coerce her girlfriend into watching the game. It’s not like her girlfriend didn't bring up some valid points about concussions and football, not to mention the whole 'fans in the stands to honor healthcare workers' bit, and as a doctor? She’s impressed at the other woman’s understanding of the situation. But, in between Abby’s persistent singing of the “So let’s make things physical..” verse of “Closer” every time the commentators mention the game being physical and her twenty minute rant over men’s soap (Riley’s personal favourite line was “Why the fuck are they gendering _soap_ , anyways?!” but she’s not about to admit it to the blonde) she isn’t sure she’s going to make it through the second half. 

Halftime though, brings about a conversation about who should perform in the next year. John, of course, wants Beyonce and Lady Gaga, but Abby is dead set on Tegan and Sara. Finally, Riley laughs. “Honey, that was the Women’s World Cup- they had Sarah McLachlan too. This is the Super Bowl. Different clientele.” 

Abby sends a _very_ pointed look her way. “And yet, somehow, here we are. With my _very_ lesbian girlfriend freaking out over guys in tights and literally _fangirling_ over a dude named Gronk. Seems like there may be some overlap in that clientele, don’t you think?”

“She does have a point,” John interjects, “Though I totally understand your appreciation for him. Those biceps...” 

Riley doesn’t have to pretend to be mildly insulted. “Hey! You do not get to judge me for this! It’s one day a year and Gronk is amazing!”

“Oh goody!” Abby teases as the second half begins, “Thirty more minutes of guys running headfirst into another guy’s midsection before pinning them facedown on the ground! And let’s not forget the slapping of each other’s asses!” 

“Sounds like a good time to me!” John replies before giving her a sympathetic look. “Oh sweetie, do you really think there’s only 30 minutes left?”

“Oh God, don’t tell me there’s _more_?”

“We have over an hour left.” He informs her, patting her shoulder gently. “And that’s not including the post-game celebrations.”

At this, Abby glares at her girlfriend. “Riley. I love you. But you have no idea what this is about to cost you. I’m talking more than your usual deal of giving me a back massage as a bribe.”

Riley would be concerned if not for the fact that Tampa just made the game 27-9 and she can’t help but jump up and cheer. The insults, and conversation, are long forgotten as the score ticks up to 28-9. “Oh my god!! I _love_ this game!” 

Abby rolls her eyes and flops back on the couch. “I’m pretty sure I could be in our kitchen making out with a literally anyone else and she would not give a single fuck right now.” 

“Actually, I would----holy interception!” Riley is absorbed in the game once again and Abby watches her like she’s never seen her before.

“My god, I’ve lost my girlfriend to...sports. Not another woman. Not another city. But...sports. Sports with very boring shirts, at that.”

As a commercial comes on, Riley sits down and wraps her arm around the pouting blonde. “No you haven’t. And I would be very concerned if you were making out with a stranger in our kitchen. But babe, really, I think you’re looking at this the wrong way.” 

“Is there any other way to look at it other than I’ve lost you to a bunch of dudes tackling each other over a ball?”

The absolutely sinful smirk plastered on Riley’s face makes John cringe as he pushes his fingers into his ears. “Oh no. No, no no. I know where this is going and I do NOT want to hear it!” 

“If Tampa wins, I’ll be in the mood for all the making out you want tonight.” 

That certainly gets Abby’s attention and she leans into her girlfriend’s side. “Fine. I’ll cheer for the pirate team. But oh my god. This has to be the gayest yet somehow straightest sport ever. And considering women’s soccer exists, that says a lot.”

That lasts all of a few minutes before Tampa makes it 31-9 and Riley is on her feet again. Abby just shakes her head as she’s harshly jolted from her comfortable position. “They’ve already won the game. I don’t understand why you’re excited over three more points, but yay. Go team!”

Riley takes her seat again but in her excitement knocks the bowl of chips off of the coffee table. In her mind, she’s content to leave it to clean up after the game, but the silent look Abby is giving her says differently. “I’ll vacuum after the game! It’s just tiny pieces and crumbs anyways! Please babe, don’t make me turn the vacuum on during the game.” 

Abby would laugh at the absolute look of pleading on the doctor’s face if she wasn’t so concerned by the unusual behaviour. “Fine. But you’re cleaning it up before we go to bed tonight.” 

“Yeah Riley, you’re cleaning it up before you go to bed tonight unless you want to sleep on the couch.” John teases as he looks up from his phone.

“Ha! Abby would never make me sleep on the couch. She worked too hard to get me into bed.” 

The smile on Riley’s face is worth it and as she sits down again, Abby moves back to her designated spot against her side. The third period ends and she’s confident Riley has settled down, content in the knowledge that her team (or maybe it’s just the one dude, Spike or whatever his name was, she cares about? Abby isn’t sure honestly) has the game wrapped up. 

It’s in vain, she realizes not even three minutes into the last quarter. When it seems the other team might score, Riley sits abruptly (dislodging Abby yet again) and begins yelling at the TV. This time, she moves to the end of the couch out of the other woman’s reach curious to see how long, or if, her girlfriend realizes she’s no longer curled into her side.

“Oh! We have to vote for the game MVP!” Riley exclaims, grabbing her phone without warning. 

“Oh look, another dogpile!” Abby states as a reply, but her girlfriend and John are both absorbed in their phones and she rolls her eyes. “Because who doesn’t love a group of grown men piled on top of each other?”

“Yeah, that sounds good, babe.” Riley replies absently, “John, is your phone loading?”

John frowns. “No! I want to vote for Biceps but everyone in the world must be trying to log on right now! This is so unfair!”

It takes a few minutes, but finally they’re able to cast their votes and Riley refocuses on the game. John has lost interest in the on-screen activities and moved on to checking out the local men on his dating apps. A fan running onto the field catches his attention once again. 

“Why? Why do people do that? It just makes them look stupid!” He complains, “And they’re distracting from the hot guys in tights!”

“Do you even know what those guys in tights are called?” Abby asks him incredulously. 

“Um,” John begins slowly, “Men in tights who run around and chase a ball for an extended period of time?”

Riley snorts and her beer finds its way onto the floor next to the pile of chip crumbs. She glances quickly at Abby and immediately moves towards the kitchen. “I’ll just clean that up now rather than waiting.”

“Mmhmm,” Abby hums, “Good plan.”

It’s good in theory, but Riley misses an interception and subsequent flag against Tampa and runs out of the kitchen frantically when she hears the commotion on TV. In her frenzy, she jumps over the edge of the couch but overshoots and knocks Abby’s beer over as well. 

John stares at her. “Jesus, Riley, you’re a walking disaster tonight. Thank God you have hardwood!” 

Abby just sighs and covers her mouth to hide her laughter as she watches her girlfriend clean up the spilled drinks. “Seriously, babe. Please sit down and watch the last five minutes of this game before you break something.”

The brunette nods and silently moves to sit on the couch. She knows without a doubt Abby isn’t upset with her. If anything, the blonde is used to her slightly chaotic tendencies and usually finds them amusing. But as the adrenaline wears off and she realizes the game is nearly over and Tampa has a sizable lead, she relaxes back into the couch and pulls Abby back into her side. “Come here. I promise I won’t make you move again.”

“You sure?” 

Riley hums in the affirmative and kisses the top of her head as Abby wraps her arm around her waist and traces the red stitching on the dark jersey. “If the pirate’s colours are red and white, why is your shirt black?”

“It’s the alternate jersey,” Riley explains, “I hate white jerseys and like this one better than the red.”

John makes a disapproving sound. “I swear I am going to get you to wear colours eventually! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear anything not found on the grayscale.”

Abby chuckles. “I’ve seen her wear colour. Red, actually. But you’ll never see that.”

“Okay ew, I did not need to know that.” 

The clock ticks down and Abby braces to be dislodged once the game is called. Instead, Riley calmly pats her free hand against her thigh. “Yay team! We won!”

“That’s it? That’s your reaction to winning this game? This game you made me sit through for like four hours?!” 

“Yup,” Riley replies, “and now I’m going to clean up the mess. Once John goes to his hotel room tonight, I’ll celebrate.”

“And what exactly is my role in all this?”

“Lalalalala, I don’t wanna hear this!” John’s fingers are firmly pressed to his ears again.

Riley grins. “Oh I’m thinking you’re wearing that jersey and nothing else.”

“I’m shocked,” Abby replies, leaning in so only the doctor hears the next words she whispers, “and I may have a few ideas on what you’re going to be wearing to make up for the last 5 hours of my life.” 


End file.
